Electrical block-signaling apparatus for railways.



' B. F. wooome. ELECTRICAL BLOCK'SIGNALING APPARATUS FOR BAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 24. 1910. A

- Patented July 18, 1916.

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B. F. woonme. ELECTRICAL BLOCK SIGNALING'APPARATUS F OR RAILWAYS.

' I APPLICATION FILED SEPT.24. I910. 1,191,262.

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Patented July 18,1916.

BENJAMIN F. WOODING, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

ELECTRICAL BLOCK-SIGNALING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented July 18, 1916.

Application filed September 24, 1910. Serial No. 583,558.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. WOOD- ING, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Block- Signaling Apparatus for Railways; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electrical block signaling apparatus for railways of the class in which each train is equipped with signaling devices or alarm mechanism located in circuits which are broken or closed for signaling purposes owing to the presence of another train either in the same or an adjacent block.

In my present construction a magnet is located on each train, being in a normally closed circuit. When this circuit is broken due to the presence of a train in another block, the armature moves to .a position which closes the circuit through an audible alarm, as an electric bell or gong. and breaks the circuit through a light or lamp which when the track is clear is lighted. In further explanation. of the manner of breaking the magnet circuit on any train, it may be stated that in my present construction if any electrical conductor is placed upon the two track rails whereby they are bridged in any block, there will be a short circuit through the rail-bridging conductor, which will break the circuit through a magnet which is normally energized andholds an armature in such position as to keep the magnet circuit on the train closed. However, the short circuiting of the current through the conductor which bridges the rails, breaks the magnet circuit on a train in another block. This rail-bridging conductor may be a lone car, a hand car, a train, or anything which forms a conductor adapted to bridge the two rails. Hence whenever the magnet circuit is b k n n a train, those in charge thereof will know that there is a train in dangerous proximity, since the normally broken circuit through the audible alarm will be closed. and the normally closed circuit through the visual alarm will be broken. Hence inmy improved construction the alarm is given by breaking the track circuit through the intervention of relays whose circuits are broken by the short-circuiting of a circuit in any block due to the presence of any object which will electrically bridge the track rails in that block.

Having briefly outlined my improved construction, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which is illusterminals are illustrated, the same being designated 1, 2, 3 and 4;, reading from left to right. The blocks of which these stations are the terminals may be designated A, B, C, D and E, respectively. At the end of each block, or at each station, there is located what I will term an electrical relay consisting of an armature 5, a magnet 6, contacts 7 and 8, and sources of electricity 9 and 10, having one pole of each in communication with one of the contacts 7 and 8. In this as well as in the other views one track rail is continuous and will be designated by the numeral 12, while the other track rail is interrupted and as a whole will be designated 13, and the various members thereof which are continuous throughout a single block will be designated 14. One terminal 15 of each relay magnet is connected by means of a conductor 16 with the armature 5, while the opposite magnet terminal 17 is connected with one of the track members 1 1- by a conductor 18. An electrical source 19 located between the track rails has its pole connected with the track member 14 by conductor 21 and its pole 22 connected with the rail 12 by a conductor 23. The relay armature 5 is connected with the track rail 12 by a conductor 24. If we assume that a train or any obj cct is on'the track between the terminals of any block, as block 6, which will electrically bridge the continuous rail 12 and the rail member 1 1, the current from the battery or electrical source 19 will be short circuited in the following manner: In this description I will assume that a train, and more particularly a locomotive designated 25, is on the track, in which event the current may be said to pass from the pole 20 of the battery through the conductor 21 to the track rail member 14, through the wheels and axle of the train to the rail 12, and through the rail 12 to the pole 22 of the battery, through a conductor 23, thus sl'iortcircuiting the current from the battery 19. Attention is called to the fact that it is this battery 19 which supplies current to or energizes the magnet 6 of station relay 2, since the current in the absence of the train 25 may be said to pass from the battery 19 through the conductor 21 to the track rail member 14, thence through the conductor 18 to one terminal of the magnet 6, thence through the conductor 16 to the armature 5, and from the armature through the conductor 24 to the rail 12, and thence therethrough to the opposite pole of the battery 19. In this form of construction the train is equipped with two trolley contacts which-I will designate 26 and 27 respectively, these contacts being adapted to enge the auxiliary track rail conductor members 28 and 29 respectively. The conductors which connect the track conductor members 23 and 29 with the metal parts of the train are designated 30 and 31 respectively. I

will now trace the current through the elec- Y trical apparatus on the train 25 through a relay whose magnet is energized forward of the train, assuming that the latter is traveling toward the left or in the direction of the arrow located adjacent the train. In this event the current may be said to pass from a contact 26 through the track conductor 28 of block 0, thence through a wire conductor 32 to the pole 33 of a battery 34 of station relay 1, thence from the pole 35 of said battery through a conductor 36 to a cont act 37, thence to the armature 5 of station relay 1, thence from the said armature through the conductor 24 to the track rail 12, and thence through said rail to the train 25.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the current will pass from the rail 12 to the car wheel 38,

thence through a conductor 39 to a metal part 40 of the train, thence from a point 11 of this metal part through a conductor to a switch arm as, thence through a conductor 14 to a terminal of a magnet 16, thence from the terminal 47 of the same magnet through a white light 4:8, thence through a conductor -19 to an arm 50 of a pole changer 51, thence from said arm through a conductor 30 to the contact 26 or the point of beginning, thus completing the circuit through the battery 3 1 of relay station 1. In this event those in charge of train 25 will know that block 13 in a forwart direction is clear, since if there were a train in that block the circuit would be broken through the battery 34 of the sta tion relay 1, as the armature 5 would assume the dotted line position, thus disconnecting the armature from the contact 37 connected with one pole of the said battery. I will now trace the current from the train 25 rearwardly showing the path of the current when the track is clear through the adj acent block in the rear. In this event the current may be said to pass from the trolley contact 27 to the track conductor 29, thence through a conductor 53 to a pole 54 of a battery 55 of station relay 3, thence from the pole 56-of said battery through a wire 57 to a contact 58, thence to the armature 5 of station relay 3, thence from the said armature through the conductor 2 1 to the track rail 12, and thence to the train. Referring now to Fig. 2 in which the mechanism on the train is illustrated, the current may be said to continue its travel from the track rail 12 through a wheel 38 of the train, through a conductor 39 to the metal part &0 of the train, thence through a conductor 42 to a switch arm 59, thence through a conductor 60 to a terminal 61 of a magnet 62, thence from the terminal 63 of said magnet through a conductor 64, through a green lamp 65, thence through a conductor 66 to an arm 67 of the pole changer 51, thence from the arm 67 through a conductor '31 to the contact 27 or the point of beginning, completing the circuit.

From the foregolng 1t wlll be understood that the engineer of a train located in any block, as the train designated 25, will know that the track is clear in both adjacent blocks in the front and rear, assuming that there is no train in either adjacent block. It will be remembered that the train 25 in question is located in block G and that in the tracing of the current it has been assumed that the track is clear in blocks B and D. It is evident, however, that if there were a train 25 in block B the current supplied by the battery 19 of said block to the magnet 6 of the station relay 1, would be short circuited through the wheels and axle of the train 25, whereby the magnet 6 ofture 5 of the station relay 1 would be pulled to the dotted line position by a spring 69, thus breaking the circuit through the battery 34, and consequently breaking the 'cir cuit through the magnet 46 mounted on the train, whereby the white light 48 would be extinguished. In this event the armature 70 of said magnet would drop into engagement with a contact 71, whereby a local circuit on the train would be closed. The path of the current from the contact 71 may be traced as follows: through the conductor 72 to an electric bell 73, thence from the bell through a conductor 74 to a pole 75 of a train battery 76, thence from the opposite pole 77 of said battery through a conductor 78 to a conductor 79, thence to the armature 70 and to the contact 71 completing the circuit. In this event it will be understood that if there is a train in the block B forward of the block 0, the trainmen of the train 25 in the block C will be warned by the giving of the audible signal resulting from the ringing of the bell 75, and the further signal resulting from the extinguishing of the white light 48. Furthermore, if there is a train 25 in the block D in the rear of block C, the trainmen on the train in block C will be similarly notified, since the circuit heretofore traced through the magnet 62 and the green light 65 will be broken by the moving of the armature 5 of station relay 3, to the dotted line position, whereby the circuit is broken through the battery which supplies current to the magnet 62 on the train. In this event the magnet 62 will be de'e'nergized and the armature 80 of this magnet will drop to engagement with'the contact 71, and the circuit will be completed through the bell 73 in the same manner as heretofore described when the magnet 46 was assumed to be deenergized, except that the current will pass from the conductor 78 through a conductor 81 to the armature 80, and thence to the contact 71 or to the place of beginning. In this event those in charge of the train 25 in block C will be notified that there is a train in block D in the rear, said notice being given by the extinguishing of the green light and the audible alarm incident to the ringing of the bell 7 3.

Instead of the batteries 9 and 10 or 34 and 55 of the various track relays, batteries may be located on the train to perform the same function. This is illustrated in Fig. 2,

in which batteries 213 and 214 are employed.

In this event the batteries may be thrown into the circuit by shifting the switch composed of the arms 48 and 59 heretofore explained. By shifting this switch from the full line to the dotted line position in Fig.

2, the free extremities of the switch arms 43 and 59 will be caused to engage the contacts 215 and 216 respectively. In this event the circuits of the mechanism illustrated in Fig.1 wouldbe traced through the armature 5 and the contacts of the relays, but the batteries 213' and 214 on the train would serve to supply current for the circuits; and instead of tracing the current from the point 41 on the train (see Fig. 2), it would be traced from a point 217 through a conductor 218, and thence to one battery or the other, depending upon whether the circuit must pass through one switch arm or the other.

Attention is called to the fact that while I have illustrated and described a. specific form of relay for use in connection with the track circuits, it must be understood that the invention is not limited to any special construction of relay, as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a block signaling system, a track 7 divided into blocks, a partial circuit having terminals in one block, means in the block ahead for controlling said partial circuit, a partial circuit on the train containing a distinctive signal and adapted to be completed by the aforesaid partial circuit, a second partial circuit having terminals in said first mentioned block, means in the block behind for controlling said second partial circuit, a second partial circuit on the train containing a second distinctive signal and adapted to be completed by said second partial circuit, an alarm upon the train, and means whereby said alarm is sounded whenever the normal condition of either of said circuits is disturbed.

2. In a block signalsystem, a circuit including a part on the train and a part on the track and having a normally closed break in the track portion, the part of said circuit on the train including an electro-magnet and a lamp of a distinctive color, a second circuit including a part on the train and a part on the track and. having a normally closed break in the track portion, the part of said second circuit on the train including a second electro-magnet and a second lamp -of another distinctive color, armatures for said electro-magnets, a local circuit being adapted to be closed by the falling of either of said armatures whereby when either of said normally closed circuits is broken, its lamp.

will be extinguished and the alarm sounded, substantially as described. 7

3. In a block signaling system, a track divided into blocks, a partial circuit having terminals in one block, means in the block ahead for controlling said partial circuit, a partial circuit on the train adapted to be completed by the aforesaid partial circuit, a the normal condition of either of said cirsecond partial circuit having terminals in cuits is disturbed. 10 said first mentioned block, means in a block In testimony whereof I aflix my signature behind for controlling said second partial in presence of two Witnesses.

circuit, a partial circuit on the train adapt- BENJAMIN F. WOODING.

ed to be completed by said second partial Witnesses:

circuit, an alarm upon the train and means F. E. BOWEN,

whereby said alarm is sounded Whenever HORTENSE UHLRICI-I.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

